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Government workers to picket the Pan Am Games over Liberal privatization agenda

HAMILTON, July 10, 2015 /CNW/ - Workers in the Ontario Public Service, represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, will take their protest over the government's privatization agenda directly to the Pan Am Games.

"The success of the Pan Am Games would not be possible without public service workers, yet the Wynne Liberals continue to use privatization to attack their employees and our public services," said OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas.

"The Ontario government has spent more than $500 million on the Games, but when it comes to public services and their own employees, they say there's no money," Thomas said. "Sport is about fairness, but there's nothing fair about privatizing the public services we all rely on."

OPSEU's south central Ontario Vice-President Deb Tungatt said OPSEU has repeatedly told Premier Kathleen Wynne that OPS members can provide public services better and more affordably than the private sector, a position which has been reinforced by Ontario's Auditor General.

Despite this warning by the AG, the message is not getting through to the government.

"The Liberals are using the deficit as an excuse for privatization, service cuts, and the erosion of good jobs," said Tungatt. "Ontarians need to take a hard look at the real cost that our communities are paying for privatization and service cuts. Privatization is threatening critical public services from Hydro One, to medical testing to IT systems which are supposed to protect our personal information and privacy," said Tungatt.

"Our members will now take these issues directly to the Pan Am Games and demand that public dollars be used for public services," Tungatt said. "Our members play a vital role in this province. They represent the best option for delivering quality public services that Ontarians can rely on.

OPSEU represents all frontline Ministry employees who work directly for the Ontario government. Their current collective agreement expired Dec. 31, 2014.